Hershey Trip—Saturday—TSO Concert and Macaroni Grill

The second day of our Hershey trip was the best, because it was the day of the concert. It was a full day that started with breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast was all right, but nothing to write home about. In past hotel stays, I always liked making my own Belgian waffles but haven’t done this since COVID. This place had a conveyor belt that churned out pancakes. They also had breakfast sandwiches that were OK, but didn’t have a lot of taste.

After spending some time at the pool, I got myself ready to start the day. The plan was to meet my cousins between 2 and 3. On our way there, I saw where the Milton Hershey School was located, as well as one of the roller coasters that was operating. The Christmas Candylane was going on, after all, and that meant that Hersheypark would be all lit up for Christmas as the sun went down. That’s probably why there were so many cars at Chocolate World, as they were all at the park.

We all met up after finding our parking spaces and getting through the crazy traffic. We entered the area and made way to our seats for the show. It was chaotic getting in there but we got in and found our seats which were floor level. The arena is home to the minor league hockey team, the Hershey Bears. They have a long history in the league and are currently the farm team for the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

The show had begun just as we took our seats. The music and lights were great, as were the special effects. A lot of work goes into these shows and a separate part of the band was also performing at a show in Seattle at the same time as our concert yesterday. The story I felt didn’t relate to the show itself but I was able to excuse that. Something like the Christmas Story or the Polar Express would have been better. Also, for the money we paid for the tickets, the seats were pretty uncomfortable. For being floor seats down near the action, they could have been a little more relaxing. However, I was able to look past the faults of the day. The music sounded great and I was familiar with some of their work through listening to the songs on the radio at Christmastime. I posted video from my phone onto my socials and sent it to my mom via text message.

My outfit of the day was a knockout. I wore black pants and a striped turtleneck sweater with black boots. All my fits did very well this weekend. My cousins were impressed with my style. I’m trying to be me and validate myself but some days it’s just so hard and I used to want to give up when I felt no one was listening. I got outfit pics Friday and Saturday, but none on Sunday. Maybe I just forgot is all. The teal sweater came from Target (a few years ago). Everything else? Thanks, it’s Old Navy.

Our post concert meal took us to Macaroni Grill in Harrisburg. My cousins know how to pick great places to eat. I mentioned to Abby some Pittsburgh-based food influencers if she’s interested in finding a great spot to eat in the city sometime. We even waxed Texas Road House as they’re new to eating there and how great their rolls and cinnamon butter are. I also mentioned Burgatory, and how you can make a custom burger as well as the amazing shakes.

I enjoyed my dinner (I ordered the fettuccine alfredo with shrimp) which also included bread with pesto sauce. Even though the food was great, some other issues sullied the experience for us a little bit. But I felt like I was in good company being there with my cousins as well as Aunt Sue and Ben. Judging by the upscale shops in the retail complex, it gave off Mount Lebanon or North Hills vibes. This place reminds me of Bravo, which has five locations in the Pittsburgh area.

The appetizers were amazing as my cousins ordered mozzarella sticks and bruschetta. To go with my fettuccine alfredo, I also ordered a bowl of lobster bisque. I didn’t get dessert like everyone else but the cannolis and tiramisu looked yummy. Had I ordered dessert, I’d have went with the New York Style cheesecake.

We capped off the night by swimming in the hotel pool until closing.